1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates generally to packaging, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved security packaging for displaying an information card.
2. Brief Description of Related Art.
The purchase and usage of data or information cards has continued to increase in recent years to the point that the sale of data cards today is a multi-billion dollar industry. Often data cards are printed and issued with a predetermined balance and typically sold as a retail item. An example of such a card is a prepaid calling card which provides an individual with a set dollar amount of long distance telephone calls. The account is accessed and debited by using an account number provided on the calling card.
In addition to the increased purchasing of data cards has come increased security problems. More specifically, when selling prepaid data cards as a retail item they are being displayed at the point of purchase in such a manner that access to the account numbers can be inconspicuously gained, and in turn used, without significantly damaging the packaging in which the card is displayed.
Another problem experienced in the sale of such debit cards is that merchants selling these cards are subsequently more exposed to loss through theft. In addition, the merchant must maintain inventory stock of different values of these debit cards well in advance of when the debit cards are actually sold as a retail item, thus restricting working capital.
With these problems in mind, merchants have begun to display non-activated (zero balance) debit cards whereby the merchant no longer has a large initial expenditure since the non-activated debit cards have no initial intrinsic value, and thus, theft is no longer a concern since the non-activated debit cards have very little value. Upon purchase of the debit card, the merchant encodes the debit card with a balance representing an amount a consumer wishes to attribute to the debit card. In light of the fact that the consumer must have the card encoded after the card is purchased, it is desirable to the merchant to be able to encode the card without having to first remove the card from packaging in which the card is displayed.
To this end, a need exists for an improved security packaging for displaying a data card having coded data disposed thereon at the point of purchase. It is to such an improved security packaging that the present invention is directed.